


Shed a Sweet Light

by RoseRose



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Convert to Judaism, Family Issues, Fluff, Found Family, Hanukkah, Happy Ending, Jewish Bucky Barnes, Jewish Character, Jewish Holidays, Jewish Sam Wilson, M/M, MHEA Hallmark 2019, jewish author
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-15 17:11:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21256775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseRose/pseuds/RoseRose
Summary: Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes are stuck in an airport on Christmas Eve, even though both are Jewish. They have to share a car, because there are no more rentals. Fluff and found family comfort (and a budding relationship!) ensue.This fills prompt 15 of the Marvel Hallmark Challenge!





	Shed a Sweet Light

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from a Chanukah song
> 
> Jewish terms and phrases are footnoted at the end of the fic (scroll down to see notes). Let me know if anything else needs a footnote.
> 
> Amazing banner is by kocuria! Thank you!!
> 
> Thank you to my beta, Aprilmallick!
> 
> Also thank you to HogwartsToAlexandria for looking for what needed notes!

* * *

* * *

“Ugh. I knew the Christmas eve flight was a mistake, but I just couldn't stand one more minute at that house.” Sam was talking on the phone to his old friend from his unit, Riley, who, unfortunately, was across the country. Over the phone, his friend abruptly changed the subject.

“Sorry, man, I have to go. It's time for Christmas Eve dinner. Good luck!” Sam looked down at the phone as Riley hung up to eat with his family, and then looked up to see only one car rental place was open. All the taxi companies in the small town were closed, and Uber hadn't taken off in their place yet. Apparently taking a taxi to the airport had been a bad idea. Admittedly, he hadn't planned on being back so soon, but he was done. Sam wasn't against spending Christmas with his family, but he wasn't going to go to midnight Christmas Eve services. Ever since he converted five years ago, his family had gotten more insistent, rather than less.

Sam let out a deep sigh, and muttered to himself as someone came up in line behind him, “Well, at least I'll be able to light Chanukah candles tomorrow. It's already too damn late tonight.” After he muttered that, the tired attendant beckoned him forward.

“We've got one choice. You can have a two door coupe. Here's the paperwork.” The agent, whose name tag held the alliterative name of Reed Richards clearly had lost any people skills he had started the day with. To Sam's tired eyes, Reed's arms appeared to be stretching all over to gather the papers Sam needed to sign. As soon as he was done, Sam was handed a key and told to just pick it up in the garage.

After Sam stepped aside to organize his stuff, he could hear raised voices from the rental counter.

“What do you _mean, _no more cars left?”

“It's Christmas Eve, and the flight to New York City was canceled. Everyone decided they wanted to drive instead of being stranded here for Christmas.”

“Damn it, I just wanted to get home in time to light Chanukah candles. The plane I could get was late enough I couldn't do that, and now you're telling me I have _no way_ of getting home?!”

“I'm sorry, sir, but there is nothing I can do.” By this point the agent's tone had left tired behind and was well into nasty. The customer responded in kind, though not in English. Sam had heard Russian swearing before, while in the Air Force, only enough to recognize what language, not enough to swear himself.

Deciding to stop the situation before it could go any farther, Sam spoke up, “Hey, buddy, I think I could manage a ride for a member of the tribe, or did I mishear your Chanukah reference?” Sam watched as the man slumped in relief.

“A ride? And one where I _don't_ have to listen to Christmas music the whole way? Thank you so much! Clearly I just received a Chanukah miracle on the order of the oil lasting all eight days!” 1 While the first bit was sincere, the last sentence had a glorious lilt of sarcasm that had Sam perking up. Maybe the ride to town would be fun, as well as his mitzvah 2 for the evening.

As they walked out to the car, Sam got a good look at the man he was going to be giving a ride home to. Brunet, brown-eyed, and really fit, the man looked to be about the same age as Sam. Realizing they hadn't even got each other's names, Sam stuck out his hand. “Hi, I'm Sam, and I'm going to be your ride for this evening.” Sam offered a grin with this statement, getting a startled laugh from his new traveling companion.

“I'm James, but you can call me Bucky, everyone does. Thank you for rescuing me. My friend, Steve, was going to pick me up, but apparently he's having car trouble, and no one around who's open to fix it.”

“Well, let's get you and me home.” The two of them walked in silence to the rental car garage. As soon as they saw the remaining car in the pickup area, they groaned in unison. A tiny two door coupe was not really sufficient for two grown men who both were on the tall, beefy side. At least no one had to crawl into the back seat. After stowing away their luggage and sitting down, Sam resumed conversation.

“So, where am I driving you?”

“To my friend, Steve's. Well, he's my roommate, now, too, so here, let me.” Bucky plugged the address into the GPS, which had them going down the highway for a bit. After a moment of silence, Bucky decided to speak up.

“So, what has you in that hellhole of an airport on Christmas Eve?”

“Family, and having enough of them.” Sam was short, and to the point. He wasn't ready to explain to a stranger. “What about you?”

“Well, this being my first holiday back, my sister insisted I spend the first night or two of Chanukah with her. Now, I'm going to spend Christmas with my best friend. He ain't religious, though, but he does it in memory of his ma. I grew up with him, so I join in, even if it ain't my holiday.” The gaps Bucky was leaving were big enough to drive a truck through, but it sufficed for an explanation for now.

Sam, having caught the mention of being back, decided to take a wild guess. “Where did you serve? I was in the Air Force, Afghanistan. I've been back a few years now, though.”

Bucky's laugh was completely devoid of humor. “I was in the Army, in Iraq. I got back over the summer, but I wasn't ready to head anywhere for the High Holidays.” Bucky visibly shook himself, even with Sam only able to see out of the corner of his eye due to driving.

“Still, my family has been great. Becca's amazing, best sister a guy could ask for. And Stevie, well, Stevie's my brother. Always has been, always will be.”

Sam nodded. “I'm glad you have that. Family's important. Really important...” Sam trailed off. Seeing an exit ahead of him, he pulled off. Just thinking about family made it so he wasn't really able to drive.

“Hey, man, you want to take the wheel for a bit?” Sam carefully ignored how wet his voice was, and hoped his companion did the same.

“Sure man. You okay?” Bucky frowned at Sam, but switched seats without waiting for an answer.

The two men sat in silence for a while before Bucky made an offer that he looked surprised by as soon as he made it, “Hey, if you need a place for the fourth night of Chanukah, Stevie and I always make too much food for just the two of us. Kosher style, so we get a duck from the store, not one from the kosher butcher, but no pork, and no dairy with dinner.”

Sam sniffled. He didn't want to, but that was more compassion than he'd been shown by his family the entire time he was there. “Thank you... I wouldn't want to intrude.”

“I learned from a Jewish mother. Feed people who need comfort. And man, you seem like you need some comfort.” As he spoke, Bucky clearly grew more confident in his offer, shown by his firming tone.

Sam sighed and decided to let his new friend know what had gotten to him. “You see, I've been spending time with my family, and I converted a couple years back. My family just plain doesn't understand. I bring a menorah and candles, and they don't have a space that isn't covered with flammable tinsel. My mama, she likes to feed people as comfort, too, but, well, breakfast this morning was her famous breakfast casserole. One of the ingredients? Bacon. She made five trays for all the family who was there, but she forgot I don't eat pig anymore, and didn't make a single bite I could eat.” At that, Sam paused to take a breath.

“Man, that sucks. Definitely need to feed you home cooked food, since you didn't get any on your trip.”

“Thank you, but you don't have to do that. This is your first holiday with your family after getting back. I get how important that is.” Sam was grateful for the offer, but he didn't want to intrude, even if he was desperate for being around a family that took his religion seriously.

“It's not a family holiday if we're not taking in strays. That's how Stevie and I got started. It was a Shabbat dinner, and I hauled him home cause I knew that there was nothing at home for him to eat. After that, he was eating at our place any time he could. And when his ma finally got a promotion to head nurse and there was money for food at his, I was there all the time, too. We weren't family that first Shabbat, but we became family. So, tonight, you sleep at my place, and tomorrow, you eat. Don't be meshuggah 3 and refuse the offer.”

Sam tensed so hard at the beginning of that rant that his shoulders practically reached his ears, but by the end he had relaxed. Bucky was reaching a bit of his soul that had been starving as much as he had been starving for home cooked food. As he relaxed, he realized that not only was in a car with a kind man, the man was just his type. Not that he was going to do anything about it, but, if he was sincere, why not give himself more time to look?

As Sam relaxed, Bucky glanced over, to see a small smile on Sam's face. “So, man, what do you say?”

“Sure, you schmuck. As long as you let me feed you for the eighth night of Chanukah. I make a mean latke.” 4 With that, Bucky lit up with a genuine smile.

“Awesome! For being Irish, Stevie can't do a damn thing with potatoes. He's a good cook otherwise. Tomorrow we'll have sufganiyot 5 as well as the duck, so I get some traditional food, but good latkes will be perfect! Becca, she tries, so I had some, but hers have no onion. I hope yours do!” Sam started to grin. Bucky's genuine enthusiasm was gorgeous. Maybe he would do something about the attraction.

“Don't worry, mine have plenty of onion. And, my mama's from the South, so I pair it with her fried chicken. It's Chanukah, everything should be cooked in oil, right?” Sam knew that his fried chicken would snare any foodie.

“I'm not meshuggah, so sure. Sounds amazing. Can it be just us? I hope I'm not reading this wrong, but I think we're both liking the other.” Bucky's voice grew a bit tentative, but strengthened again near the end of the sentence as Sam lit up.

“Oh baruch hashem! I don't need to ask myself!” Sam was thrilled and relieved they were on the same page. And, in a miracle just like the oil, and finding the car at the airport, they pulled up to Steve and Bucky's place right as the conversation finished.

Bucky pulled up and stepped out of the car. “Come in. I'm sure Stevie has something ready for me to eat, and he always cooks too much. I'm sure you have nothing at home if you weren't planning on being there for a while.”

Sam started to object, but realized the emotional overload in the car probably had him too shaky to drive, still. “Fine, just a quick bite and meeting your friend before I crash Christmas day.” The grin on Bucky's face at that statement held more than a hint of mischievousness.

Luggage was fetched and keys were located, and soon Sam found himself in a well-lit living room, basking in the warmth of the artificial heating and enjoying what appeared to be the smell of spaghetti and meatballs. Sam felt his mouth start to water. Next to him, Bucky called out, “Hey, Stevie! I'm home! And I brought a guest!”

As built as Bucky was, the person who appeared at Bucky's shout was that thin. Probably the best word for the man was _delicate_. Sam watched him light up at the sight of Bucky, but felt a surge of bitterness at the brotherly hug the two shared, especially when Steve followed it with, “It's not after midnight, let's get the candles lit now. C'mere, I got them all set up!”

“Hey, Sam, you want to lead the blessings?” Bucky looked at him, and Sam accepted, realizing he hadn't lit them at all, yet.

“Sure.” With that, Bucky showed him over to where they had a table set up, in the window as per tradition, where Steve had put the candles in, correctly. Sam was about ready to cry. Here, this goy had made an effort for someone he wasn't related to, and his family couldn't even remember things had changed. Steve clearly realized that something was up, and decided to jump in.

“I don't know your story, but I trust Buck with everything. If he says you're good, you're good. You always have a place here.”

Sam ignored the tears on his face to go with saying the blessings. He wasn't ready to express the warmth he felt at Steve's acceptance, or the crush he felt on Bucky, but this, this he could do.

“_Baruch ata haShem, Elokaynu melech haolam, asher kidishanu bimitzvotav vitzivanu lehadlik ner shel Chanukah._

_Baruch ata haShem, Elokaynu melech haolam, sheasa nisim la avotenu, bayamim hahem bizman hazeh.”_ Steve and Bucky clearly expected him to end there, since it wasn't the first night. But, since he hadn't gotten to light candles once yet this Chanukah, he continued.

“_Baruch ata haShem, Elokaynu melech haolam, shehechyanu vekiyimanu vehigiyanu lizman ha zeh.”_ 6 With that, the prayer for doing something for the first time in a while, he told Bucky, at least, and maybe Steve, exactly how much he had been prevented from being himself. Even though he knew he gave himself away, he still startled a bit at the hug from both sides, one a quick comfort from a well-intentioned stranger, and the other lingering. Sam leaned into the lingering hug, feeling good about where he was for the first time since the beginning of the holiday.

Bucky was his Chanukah miracle.

(Three months later, Steve was the one who designed their costumes for the Purim party. His choice of David and Jonathan made it easier to tell him Sam was moving in, because clearly he was on board with the relationship. One car rental gave Sam a lover and a brother.)

* * *

Achievements earned as part of the Holiday Movie Challenge 2019. Click [here](https://heamarvel.tumblr.com/holiday) for more info!

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> 1 In the Chanukah story, there was a miracle where an amount of oil that should have only lasted the Temple in Jerusalem one day lasted a full eight.
> 
> 2 Loosely translated, a mitzvah means a "good deed" though the sense is somewhere between good deed and "commandment". 
> 
> 3 Meshuggah is Yiddish for crazy or foolish
> 
> 4 Latkes are fried potato pancakes, a traditional Chanukah food among Jews, especially those whose recent ancestors lived in Eastern Europe. 
> 
> 5 Sufganiyot are fried jelly donuts, a traditional Chanukah food, probably most popular in Israel, but definitely eaten other places. 
> 
> 6 The blessings translate as follows:  
Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light.  
Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the univrse, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time.  
Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.  
(Translations are from the Chabad website, an Orthodox Jewish organization.)


End file.
